Among hardfacing processes using welding, laser cladding is nowadays one of the most efficient surface coating techniques. It is widely used to increase wear and corrosion resistance of machine parts as a result of the unique process characteristics such as low heat input (smaller heat affected zone), distortion free clad layers, lower dilution rate, finer coating microstructure as well as good metallurgical bonding at the coating/substrate interface. A wide range of new hardfacing materials and corrosion-resistant alloys are available on the market and in this study, different coatings of Ni-, Co- and Fe-based alloys as well as carbide-based metal matrix composites have been deposited by laser cladding for benchmarking purposes. Coatings were deposited onto mild steel substrates using a high-power diode laser. Coating microstructure and hardness were investigated as well as their tribological properties such as 2-body and 3-body abrasion, slurry abrasion and cavitation erosion resistance. Corrosion performance of coatings was also investigated with the salt spray test. Coatings are ranked according to their performance in the different tests and relationships between microstructure and coating properties are discussed.

The application of cold spray (CS) for additive manufacturing (CSAM) of structural components using metallic materials has recently attracted much attention. However, there are limited reports on developing thick deposits or components with high entropy alloys (HEAs) via CSAM and investigating the microstructural evolution and mechanical properties after deposition and subsequent annealing heat-treatment. This work investigated the microstructure and mechanical properties of asdeposited and heat-treated thick CoCrFeNiMn HEA deposit fabricated via CSAM. The microstructure of the HEA deposit and after heat-treatment were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The microstructural analysis reveals heterogeneous grain size distribution with ultrafine grains at the particle-particle interfacial regions and coarse grains at the particle interiors in the as-deposited sample. The as-deposited sample, characterised by moderate porosity, was consolidated following the heat treatment at different temperatures. Additionally, increasing the temperature increases grain sizes resulting from static recovery and recrystallisation, with annealing twin formed at higher temperatures. Most notably, phase decomposition of the deposit microstructure occurs at 600 ºC, with Cr-rich phase particles formed at regions of high dislocations and grain boundaries. Nano-and micro-hardness and tensile testing of micro-flat dogbones samples were performed on the as-deposited and heattreated samples. The effect of heat-treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the cold-sprayed HEA deposit were analysed and discussed.

In thermal spraying, one of the fundamental elements to achieving good bonding strength of the applied coating is surface preparation. Traditionally grit blasting using hard particles such as corundum is used to achieve suitable roughness on the substrate. Lately, there is an effort to find a suitable alternative from ecological and economical aspects. A promising possibility is laser texturing which enables the preparation of defined structures on the surface. Within a research project, procedures are developed to texture various substrates to direct application of HVOF coatings. The main goal is to achieve speeds of texturing comparable to grit blasting – more than 500 mm 2 /s while ensuring good bonding strength of the applied coating. This study focuses on HVOF spraying of Stellite 6 and WC-CoCr Coating. Selected substrates are steel, and then materials that cannot be traditionally grit blasted – nitrided steel and alumina ceramics. The study presents the analysis of laser textures on substrates, analysis of coating substrate-coating interface, and adhesion tests by tensile test. The most suitable textures – regarding the processing speed and achieved adhesion are selected.

The enhancement of the surface characteristics and corrosion resistance of cobalt alloys is under continuous examination for its biomedical applications. In this work, the investigation of corrosion performance of cobalt alloy coated with HA and HA/ZnO reinforced powders using plasma spray technique revealed that on the continuous increase of ZnO reinforcement the corrosion resistance improved progressively. The increment in surface hardness and drop in surface roughness was examined with the rise in ZnO content. Each coated sample exhibits a hydrophilic property. According to SEM and EDX investigations, homogeneous distribution of HA/ZnO coatings and intact reinforcement of ZnO in pure HA powder was noticed. All of the coated specimens maintain their morphological integrity, ensuring excellent protection of the prepared samples. The obtained outcomes denote HA/ZnO reinforced coatings on CoCr alloy as a suitable combination of enhanced surface properties and excellent corrosion resistance for future bone implant practices.

A computational fluid dynamics model for understanding the HVAF process and the influence of the process parameters on the particle flight properties is investigated. Achieving this objective involves a novel approach to modeling the HVAF process with pressure inlet boundary conditions and integration of the mixing chamber. The study comprises the prediction of the flow fields described by a set of equations consisting of continuity, momentum, energy, and species transport. These equations are then solved with realizable k-ε turbulence model, a two-step chemistry model and eddy dissipation model to simulate the combustion reaction. Consequently, the interaction between the CoNiCrAlY alloy particles and the flow is modeled using a Lagrangian approach considering the forces acting on the particles and the heat transfer. The results show that the combustion chamber pressure is mainly affected by the compressed air and propane parameters. Furthermore, the flight behavior of the smaller particles is significantly influenced by the gas flow, while the larger particles tend to maintain their momentum and energy. Through the simulation model, an in-depth process understanding of the HVAF process can be achieved. More importantly, the model can be used as a tool for efficient process development.

Impact testing appears as a most promising tool for gaining information on coating behavior in load-bearing applications. During dynamic impact test an indenter impacts successively the surface of the coating with constant force and frequency. The deformation of the coated specimen during impact testing is affected by the mechanical properties of both the substrate and the coating. Varying the impact load and the number of impacts, the evolution of coating surface deformation and contact fatigue failures can be observed. In the paper, the influence of dynamic impact load and number of impacts on the resulting impact crater volume and morphology is analysed, and the interpretation of the results in form of Wohler-like dependance is suggested and demonstrated on two types of HVOF sprayed Co-based alloy coatings. The low-number impact craters evolution and subsurface cracks propagation of HVOF sprayed Co-based alloy coatings is analyzed in more detail, by means of 3D optical microscopy and SEM. The results showed, that the higher ability to deform plastically increased the coatings dynamic impact fatigue lifetime. The cracks, responsible for coatings destruction, spread predominantly along the intersplat boundaries in the pile-up area.

As steam power plants continue to move towards higher operating temperatures in order to improve efficiency, materials exposed to the working fluid are subjected to accelerated degradations in the forms of surface oxidation and reduced mechanical properties. In this study, the oxidation behavior of two cobalt base alloys, CoCrMoSi (T14) and CoCrNiMoSi (T19), was evaluated in superheated steam (SHS, 0.1MPa) at 800 °C for up to 500 hours. After the exposure, both T14 and T19 alloys experienced weight gain caused by oxidation. Visual observation and SEM surface analysis revealed that T19 had greater extent of surface oxide spallation than that seen on T14. From the cross-sectional evaluation, however, a thin, adherent oxide layer was found to have formed on T19. T14 in fact had suffered from excessive internal oxidation and the surface oxide was uneven. Based on the results obtained so far, it is believed that the finer Laves phase combined with greater amount of Cr in alloy T19 have enabled the formation of a protective oxide layer and thus reduced the extent of internal oxidation. Due to the extensive oxidation ingress along the large Laves phase, it is concluded that T14 is not suitable for applications in SHS at 800 °C.

This study evaluates the hot corrosion behavior of NiCoCrAlY, NiCoCrAlYHfSi, NiCoCrAlTaReY, and CoCrAlYTaCSi coatings on 1.4923 stainless steel, applied by high-pressure HVOF spraying. All coatings were cycled in in an environment of Na 2 SO 4 and 82% Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 at 690 °C. Each cycle consisted of 1 h of heating in a silicon carbide tube furnace followed by 20 min of cooling. Weight change measurements were performed after each cycle to track corrosion kinetics, and SEM and EDS analysis were employed to analyze the corrosion mechanism. CoCrAlYTaCSi showed the best corrosion resistance of the coatings tested.

This work investigates the high-temperature oxidation kinetics of CoCrAlSiY coatings with different Si concentrations. Hot-corrosion resistance is determined at 800 and 900 °C via hot salt coating, thermal shock resistance is measured at 1050 °C, and the oxidation and corrosion products are analyzed through mineralogical and micro analysis. The results show that Si promotes the formation of an Al 2 O 3 film that improves oxidation and corrosion resistance, but excessive amounts reduce thermal shock resistance.

Due to their superior wear resistance and oxidation behavior, Stellite coatings are widely used in industrial applications where they are exposed to high temperature. Common processes for applying Stellite coatings include high-velocity oxyfuel spraying, laser cladding, and plasma transferred arc welding. Although Stellite welding consumables are available, there are few studies on arc-sprayed Stellite coatings in the literature. This work investigates the microstructural characteristics of an arc-sprayed deposit produced using a CoCr-based cored wire with 4.5 wt% W. The deposit is examined both in its as-sprayed state and after high-temperature exposure. Microstructure formation is assessed via SEM and EDX analysis, phase transformation processes are determined by XRD analysis, and friction and wear properties are measured. The findings are presented and discussed and compared with those obtained from conventional CoCr-based coatings.

This paper evaluates the performance of a new single-cathode cascaded arc spray gun developed for low-pressure plasma spraying (LPPS). It describes key design features, explaining how they contribute to arc and voltage stability, improved thermal efficiency, higher throughput, and extended equipment life. It assesses the effect of nozzle geometry on spray spot morphology and examines the microstructure of CoNiCrAlY and YSZ coatings deposited on different substrates, including a turbine blade, using the new gun. Cross-sectional images show the uniformity of the CoNiCrAlY coatings in different locations on the turbine blade, including platform, fillet, and airfoil surface.

Ceramic coatings are often applied to metallic substrates using a bond coat to promote adhesion. The corrosion environment between the substrate and ceramic layer can be very harsh due to the absence of dissolved oxygen, high concentrations of corrosive electrolytes, and galvanic and crevice corrosion mechanisms within the bond coat itself. This study assesses the performance of several bond coats in sulfuric acid, including plasma sprayed tantalum and HVOF sprayed NiCr, Hastelloy C, and Ultimet. The bond coats were deposited on Hastelloy substrates and covered with a Cr 2 O 3 topcoat. Electrochemical polarization and open circuit potential measurements were recorded and coating microstructures were examined before and after the corrosion tests. Plasma sprayed tantalum exhibited the best corrosion resistance at room temperature, followed by HVOF sprayed Hastelloy C.

The plasma torch design affects the particle-plasma interaction, in-flight properties and the coating microstructure. When spraying metallic powders, the in-flight oxidation as well as the particle velocity and temperature determine the mechanical, corrosion and oxidation properties, which have a major impact on the in-service degradation of bond coats. This study aims to determine the microstructural and mechanical properties of as-sprayed CoNiCrAlY coatings deposited on the Inconel 718 alloy. Depositions were made using a High Velocity Plasma Spray Process (HVPS), which is based on a special plasma torch design. In-flight particle characteristics were determined to elucidate the kinetic and thermal regime of HVPS process.

The erosion behaviour at room temperature (RT) of as-deposited SPS, EB-PVD and APS YSZ-based TBCs was investigated. All coatings were deposited on Inconel 625 alloy coupons. The same APS CoNiCrAlY bond coat was employed for all SPS and APS TBCs. The erodent material was 50 μm alumina and the impact angles were 15° and 90°. A total of 4 different types of SPS YSZ-based TBCs were tested, which consisted of two distinct columnar-segmented and two distinct columnar-grown microstructures. The EB-PVD and APS YSZ TBCs were employed as benchmarks. The erosion performance of the different TBCs in this study was ranked based on the coating volume loss after wear testing. The TBC microstructures and phase compositions were evaluated via SEM and XRD. The erosion mechanisms of the different TBCs were compared by analyzing the cross-sectional and top surface microstructures of the as-sprayed and eroded TBCs. These are released results from the Surftec Industrial R&D Group of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).

In this study, the mechanisms responsible for enhancing the adhesion strength of thermally sprayed metallic coatings subjected to vacuum heat treatment were investigated using atmospheric plasma sprayed (APS) CoNiCrAlY coatings as an example. The formation of metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate, which determined the increase in the adhesion strength of the coatings, was studied by analyzing the effect of morphological changes of the oxide film in the coating. The results showed that during the vacuum heat treatment process, the oxide film formed during the coating deposition gradually broke down and subsequently shrank into round oxides. After vacuum heat treatment, the adhesion strength of the coating improved significantly, and there was a positive nonlinear relationship between the treatment time and the adhesion strength. The increase in the adhesion strength was caused by the formation of metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate. However, the prerequisite for the formation of metallurgical bonding was that the oxide film had to break during the vacuum heat treatment process. A thermodynamic 2D model based on the thermal grooving theory was proposed to explore the essential conditions for the breaking and shrinking of the oxide film.

Corrosion resistance of coatings deposited by thermal spraying technology HVOF (High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) requires high density in coating and good adhesion to substrate material. The majority of thermally sprayed materials meet the requirements of high corrosion resistance in terms of their composition. However, porous structure raises doubts about the performance of thermally sprayed coatings regarding sufficient protection to the base material. In fact, corrosion protection is a basic coating function. However, , no sufficient attention has been dedicated to the issue of component protection against corrosion attack using HVOF sprayed coatings. In this study, NiCoCrAlY, NiCoCrAlTaReY, NiCoCrAlYHfSi, and CoCrAlYTaCSi coatings were deposited on the substrate material 1.4923. The coatings were deposited using HP/HVOF (High Pressure / High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) thermal spraying technology. The coatings were exposed to the corrosive-aggressive environment in the form of molten salts mixture with composition of 60 % V 2 O 5 and 40 % Na 2 SO 4 at the selected temperature of 750 °C. Further, all coatings were exposed to cyclic conditions. Weight changes of individual specimens were measured after every cycle and results were recorded in diagrams. After the corrosion test, all evaluated coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), analysis of elemental composition (EDS) and X-Ray diffraction. The NiCoCrAlY and NiCoCrAlTaReY coatings showed the best corrosion protection in selected corrosive aggressive environment, forming the protective oxide layer that prevented further corrosion attack. On the contrary, NiCoCrAlYHfSi and CoCrAlYTaCSi coatings were found not to be suitable for corrosion protection of components working in selected corrosive environment.

The CoCrAlSiY alloy powder with Si mass concentrations of 0, 2% and 5% was prepared in this work. The oxidation kinetics curves of all three kinds of powders after 300 h oxidation at 1000 °C were plotted. In addition, the phase constitution of alloy powder and the distribution of β phase were analyzed by SEM and EDS. Furthermore, the effect of Si-addition on the melting temperature and oxidation resistance of the alloy powder were investigated by DSC-TG from the room temperature to 1400 °C. And the element concentrations at the grain boundary of alloy powder with Si addition of 2% were also analyzed. The results show that the melting temperature of alloy powder decreases as increasing Si content, which indicates that adding Si element could influence on the selective oxidation of Al and Cr elements in the alloy system, and improve the oxidation resistance of CoCrAlY powder. In addition, the weight gain of powder with Si addition of 2% is lowest. And Si element has a enrich tendency in the grain boundary. Therefore, the higher Si content would have a negative effect on the high temperature oxidation resistance of powder.

Cr 3 C 2 -25%NiCr, Stellite 6, NiCrBSi and Hastelloy C-276 coatings were deposited on substrate material P91 by HP/HVOF (High Pressure / High Velocity Oxygen Fuel) thermal spraying technology. The resistance against high temperature corrosion was evaluated exposition of coatings to corrosive-aggressive environment in the form of molten salts mixture with composition of 60% V 2 O 5 and 40% Na 2 SO 4 at temperature of 750 °C. Further, coatings were exposed to cyclic conditions. After the corrosion tests, all coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and analysis of elemental composition (EDX). Alloys-based coatings showed very similar corrosion mechanism in the selected aggressive environment and the same can be stated about cermet coatings. The obtained results prove that HVOF deposited coatings can replace current surface protection of components in power equipment such as nitriding.

Wear-resistant cobalt–based alloy (Stellite 12) coatings deposited by plasma transferred arc (PTA), commonly used to protect critical mechanical components in harsh environments, were modified by addition of hard ceramic particles (TiC) and solid lubricant compounds (MoS 2 and CaF 2 ) to improve the overall tribological performance. In this preliminary study, microstructural, microhardness and tribological analyses were carried out to assess: a) the feasibility of PTA deposition of thermally sensitive phases characterised by very low density; b) the effect of the addition of a mixture of soft and hard phases on the coating hardness; c) the effect of the modified composition in terms of wear resistance; d) the effect of the addition in terms of lubrication (friction coefficient and produced heat). Results showed that: a) an appropriate pre-consolidation of feedstock materials can be effective in preserving the heat-sensitive phases within the microstructure of PTA deposits; b) the addition of a total amount of 5% wt. of solid lubricants and reinforcing carbides produced a limited decrease in the coating hardness (about 13%) and an evident improvement in terms of friction coefficient but, on the other hand, a remarkable reduction (about 30%) in wear resistance. Further investigation will be addressed to optimize the composition of modified feedstock to counteract the softening effect of lubricant phases without depressing the self-lubrication behaviour.

The study of both the interface strength and residual stresses within a plasma sprayed ceramic coating is of great interest which main purpose is a better understanding of the mechanical properties of metal/ceramic systems. In this work, experiments involving a LASAT facility (LASAT: Laser Shock adhesion test) were implemented in order to analyse the adhesion and the damaging behaviour (debonding and buckling) of alumina coatings onto Co-based alloy. Similar alumina coatings were deposited using same plasma parameters with various surface preparations: smooth or severe grit blasting, with and without pre-oxidation. The non-destructive analyses (Optical and IR imaging) of the buckled region after LASAT have allowed to compare and discuss the interface strength of the studied coated samples. Further discussion was carried out by analysing the blister, resulting from the release of residual stresses within the coating after LASAT. It was thus evidenced that the residual stress state is a key parameter on resulting adhesive properties. This explorating work suggests using the LASAT method to analyse the adhesion and residual stresses within thermal sprayings.